Group In Abuja Protests Killing Of Nigerians In South Africa

Foreign nationals gesture after clashes broke out between a group of locals and police in Durban on April 14 ,2015 in ongoing violence against foreign nationals in Durban, South Africa. The attacks on immigrant-owned shops and homes in Durban's impoverished townships come three months after a similar spate of attacks on foreign-owned shops in Soweto, near Johannesburg. The Malawian government said on April 13, 2015 it would help repatriate its citizens from South Africa following an outbreak of xenophobic violence in the eastern port city of Durban that has left four people dead. AFP PHOTO/PHOTO STRINGER

Nigeria has challenged the killing of its second national in South Africa in two months.

As indicated by a letter of protest toward the South African authorities, Mr Clement Nwaogu was executed in Rustenburg.

The killing of Mr Nwaogu came under 10 days after another Nigerian, Mr ThankGod Okoro, 30, from Ogbaku in Enugu State, was killed in South Africa.

The Nigeria Consul General in Johannesburg, Mr Godwin Adama, said on telephone that his office had waded into issues surrounding renewed xenophobic attacks on Nigerians

Mr Adama who condemned the act of burning Mr Nwaogu to death by a mob, said the Nigerian Mission was on top of the situation

“The High Commissioner has spoken with the Nigerian community and sent officers to calm down the situation,” he said.

Mr Adama said that 13 Nigerians, who protested the killing of a compatriot in Rustenburg in February, were arrested and charged in court for public disturbance.

The mission, he explained, had been going to court over the matter and had to be escorted by security due to threats

According to the consul, the latest incident was apparently a reaction to the Nigerians’ threat of dealing with anyone targeting members of their community.

”They were having erroneous belief that some Nigerians were involved in drugs. Unfortunately, the particular guy that was attacked was not involved in drugs and had his genuine business.

“They went to his shop on that fateful day, told him to produce the drugs he was keeping, but when he said there was no drug they beat him up and set him ablaze, but was taken to the hospital where he died later.”

Mr Adama hoped that the South African government would take appropriate measures to address the issue once and for all.

Records show that no fewer than 117 Nigerians have been killed in South Africa since February 2016.

Unofficial estimates put the number of Nigerians residing in South Africa at about 800,000, majority of them young people.